Fish baits or attractants to date have come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and forms. For example, fishermen may attract fish to a specific area within a given body of water by placing attractants, in particular fish food, into the water in close proximity to the fishing vessel. Alternatively, fishermen may use fish bait, often live fish, squid, or animals that contain blood, to attract fish to their fishing lines. Fish attractants, commonly known as “chum,” are often placed in a bag (or “chum bag”) and dropped into the water in close proximity to the fishing vessel. As is well known in the art, a chum bag (or basket) comprises a container for fish food which is of such construction that the food is automatically dispensed therefrom as the container moves in the water, upon contact by a fish, due to water currents, or when induced by the fisherman.
Containers often used as chum bags or baskets are of relatively heavy and expensive construction, reusable, and non-degradable. These containers are typically messy to clean or dispense, especially at the end of the day when fishing activities have been completed and the container is brought back into the boat. Some fisherman simply cut the container loose, polluting the water and endangering other fish that may get caught in the discarded bag.
A variety of devices are available to dispense fish attractants or chum. For example, a cylindrical container having a plurality of holes is available to hold and gradually release granularized chum in water to attract fish. Another chum dispenser includes a perforated cylindrical body providing a repository and release mechanism for granular fish bait. Attached to the body are two hooks designed to receive live bait. None of these containers are biodegradable.
Awareness and concern about the environmental impact of fishing has mounted in recent years. The public has become increasingly concerned about abandoned fishing tackle/bait in the sea, rivers, lakes, and marshes. Such items have harmfully affected the environment by contaminating natural settings and injuring birds and aquatic organisms. For example, fishing tackle/bait adversely affect the ecological system by coiling around birds and aquatic organisms, sometimes resulting in the death of the bird or organism. Moreover, fishing tackle/bait abandoned or left to stand in water may be dangerous to other fishermen. Discarded fishing tackle/bait can impair ship navigation by wrapping themselves around the rudder or a propeller of a ship. These issues have become a serious social problem with the increase in the fishing population.
Accordingly, dissolvable containers for fish bait have been disclosed. For example, several forms of disposable casting containers attached to the fishing lines are disclosed. These casting containers provide a casting weight and a means for protecting hook bait when the fishing line is cast. These fish bait containers are biodegradable and/or open upon contact in water. Unfortunately, these containers are not used independently of the fishing line and/or are used for fish bait rather than as a substance to attract fish to a specific area. Thus, a fisherman may have to use several of these containers during a single fishing outing.